WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- NASA and the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research say they have successfully used a new environmentally friendly propellant to launch a small rocket.
Space agency officials said the propellant -- comprised of aluminum powder and water ice -- is called "ALICE." It propelled a 9-foot rocket to a height of 1,300-feet above Purdue University's Scholer farms in Indiana earlier this month.
"This collaboration has been an opportunity for graduate students to work on an environmentally friendly propellant that can be used for flight on Earth and used in long distance space missions," said NASA Chief Engineer Mike Ryschkewitsch. "These sorts of university-led experimental projects encourage a new generation of aerospace engineers to think outside of the box and look at new ways for NASA to meet our exploration goals."
Officials said ALICE achieved a maximum thrust of 650 pounds during the test.
"ALICE can be improved with the addition of oxidizers and become a potential solid rocket propellant on Earth," said Steven Son, a research team member from Purdue. "Theoretically, ALICE can be manufactured in distant places like the moon or Mars, instead of being transported to distant locations at high cost."
The project was funded by Purdue University and Pennsylvania State University.
